Nokia and Apple trade accusations in patent lawsuits

The companies are at odds over fair licensing of the H.264 video codec and other technologies

Apple's lawsuit, meanwhile, alleges that Nokia is working with outside patent assertion firms to skirt its RAND patent commitments to standards bodies.

Nokia promised it would "license its patents fairly," Apple's lawyers wrote. Nokia is working with the patent lawsuit filers on a "scheme to diffuse and abuse" the company's patents by extracting "exorbitant" royalties, they alleged in their complaint.

"Unable to compete with innovative companies such as Apple -- which had developed a revolutionary hardware and software platform -- Nokia quickly transformed itself," Apple's lawyers wrote. "It changed from a company focused on supplying cell phones and other consumer products to a company bent on exploiting the patents that remain from its years as a successful cell phone supplier."

Acacia and Conversant didn't immediately respond to requests for comments on the Apple lawsuit.

The Apple lawsuit is "unrelated to our own complaints" against the company, a Nokia spokesman said by email. "By failing to agree to terms, Apple is seeking an unfair advantage over our other licensees and we are taking steps to protect our inventions and defend our rights," he added.